The Story Continues
by Goldenrod
Summary: Kit's involvement in the 'Mask of Light' saga.
1. A Journey Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle, only Kit. And, I don't 'Mask of Light' either.

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Mata Nui. An island perfectly divided into six different geographical regions. An island considered a paradise by its inhabitants—the Matoran. An island where legends are real and you never know when one will become so.

Beneath the surface of the village of Ta-Koro, one of the many branches of the Lake of Fire flowed. With all of the lava farmers gone, all was quiet in the cavern. Then, from nowhere, something splashed as it landed on the lava's surface. Tahu let his momentum carry him down the flow, making his way toward the new kohlii field. It was almost time for the kohlii match to start and his village's team was playing. He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he became aware of a tremor. "What the--" he said to himself when a surge in the lava's current threw him off balance, nearly causing him to fall off of his lavaboard. He regained his balance just before his fingertips touched the lava and steered toward the shore. By then, the tremors had stopped as mysteriously as they had appeared. "Odd," he noted and became aware of voices behind him. Though he couldn't understand the words, he knew the voices. 'Jaller and Takua,' he thought. 'What are they doing down here? They're supposed to be at the stadium.' Following the voices he trotted toward the Matoran. Just when he guessed he was almost there, he heard a far too familiar roar from the back end of the cavern. "I don't like the sound of that," he said to himself and started running. When he heard Takua fearfully call out to Jaller, Tahu swore his heart leapt to his throat and he scrambled to peek over a small ridge. He saw Takua on his lavaboard and a huge wave of lava towering over him, looking like a huge mouth ready to swallow the Matoran in one gulp. In the blink of an eye, the Toa of Fire leapt forward, grabbed Takua, and started surfing.

"Ah, Toa Tahu," sighed Takua, realizing he was still alive.

"Chronicler," the Toa greeted, "sightseeing, were ya?"

Throwing the Matoran onto his back, Tahu continued to surf ahead of the wave. That's when an idea popped into his head. "Well, let's take a closer look at those falls," and, for a brief few moments, they flew over the approaching lavafall. Tahu was so focused on his stunt, nothing else seemed to matter—not the lava, not the fall, not even Takua's screaming, holding on for dear life and wondering why he ever came along for this crazy ride. After a few seconds of freefalling, though for Takua it felt like forever, Tahu grabbed and primed up his magma swords and thrust them into the rockwall before them. The tools ended up creating two narrow trenches before they slowed to a stop. "So, Takua," said Tahu. "This view close enough?"

"Incoming!" Takua pointed above.

Lava from another one of the outlets was pouring down toward them. The Fire Toa activated the power of his mask, his forcefield protecting both him and the Matoran. Once the lava had passed, he let down his shield and started using his swords to climb back up to the top.

Meanwhile, back at the area where Takua found the totem, Jaller mourned for the 'death' of his friend. Suddenly, two large swords appeared on either side of him. He looked behind him to find the guardian of his village. "Toa Tahu," he gasped, then his tone and expression changed back to sorrow. "Takua? H-He didn't . . ." Takua peeked around the Toa's shoulder, gave a triumphant chuckle, and leapt down. "You're alive!" Jaller exclaimed, then embraced his friend. "Kohliihead, you could've been lava-bones." Pewku ran up to Takua and proceeded to lick him excitedly.

"Could've been, but I'm not," Takua remarked.

Tahu, meanwhile, picked up an object that had recently caught his attention, "A Great Kanohi mask."

"It was in the lava," Jaller explained. "Takua--"

"This could be important," Tahu interrupted. "Take it to Turaga Vakama." The Captain was about to proceed to do so when Tahu placed a hand on his head. "_After_ you've won the kohlii match," he added. "Then no more sightseeing."

"Yes, Toa Tahu," Jaller saluted.

As Jaller and Takua, with Pewku in tow, ran as fast as they could move across the bridge that led to the stadium, Turaga Vakama addressed the crowd about being thankful to the Great Spirit for the Toa and enjoying their newfound peace, prosperity, and opportunity to build. The assembled Matoran cheered as Vakama, Onewa, and Nokama looked on brightly. "Let us welcome our protectors," Vakama continued, and he raised his staff to the level above him and the turaga. "The spirit of fire, Toa Tahu." The Toa of Fire flipped as the crowd cheered on. "From the village of water, Toa Gali," Vakama introduced as the blue female Toa walked in graciously, waving to the Matoran. "From the village of stone, Toa Pohatu." A short pause followed, and Vakama announced, "And last, but definitely not least, our human ally, Kit." A small figure flipped down from above the Toa, and Kit spread out her arms to conclude her move.

Gali gently shook her head with a smile shining in her eyes. 'She's been hanging out with Lewa too much,' she thought to herself. 'Always coming up with some kind of dramatic entrance.'

"Pleasure to see you again, Gali," Tahu greeted without meeting his sister's gaze as the group continued to wave to the villagers.

"Thank you, Tahu," Gali replied with a hint of impatience in her voice.

"Brother, I am thrilled to be here," said Pohatu enthusiastically.

"Well, couldn't have a first match without the Patron of Kohlii," Tahu chuckled as he and his brother Toa exchanged a fist-punch.

"Yeah," Kit joined in, "someone might consider it a crime."

Pohatu had to laugh at that. "And so I am here, so no one gets arrested."

Gali, annoyed with being ignored by her brothers, took her seat. Tahu sat down immediately, leaving Kit and Pohatu to look at them and each other. After sharing a shrug, they joined the other two. The Toa of Fire and Water refused to meet each other's gaze, a sign everyone knew all too well. "Still at it, aren't they?" the Stone Toa whispered to the girl behind him.

"Apparently so," Kit whispered back. About a week ago, Gali and Tahu had another one of their 'bouts, the reason why was uncertain.

Pohatu placed an arm on both of them and sighed. "You two—still so ill at ease? Put your petty differences aside. Rejoice!"

Kit was about to say something in agreement, but thought better of it when Gali brushed Pohatu's hand off. "I think my brother is afraid of having his fire extinguished," she commented with a leer at the red Toa.

Tahu chuckled, "Sister, against me you'd be nothing but steam. Hot air, as they say."

Kit rolled her eyes as she sighed inwardly; it was now obvious as to what those two were fighting over. Almost a minute later, Vakama's voice could once be heard throughout the stadium, dedicating it to the Great Spirit and the Three Virtues. The Matoran cried out the names of the virtues and cheered again when Vakama gave word for the tournament to begin. Inside the tunnel that led to the field and would function as the Ta-Koro goal during the game, Jaller and Takua could hear the kohlii announcerintroducing the members of the three scheduled teams. They had only minutes left. Takua slipped on his shoulder pads just in time for him and Jaller to jump out. Jaller took a moment to enjoy the roar of the crowd and turned to Takua. "Try your new move," he whispered.

"Of course, it's what the audience came for," Takua replied as he walked to the center of the field, his eyes giving away his uncertainty.

Takua, Hahli, and Hewki touched staffs, the ball was released, and the highly anticipated game was finally on. "C'mon Takua, you can do it! Kick it Hewki, kick it! That's right Hahli, go!" Kit cheered, earning some confused stares from the three Toa.

"Kit, why in the world are you cheering for all three teams?" asked Tahu.

"Because I want them all to win," she answered.

Gali looked at Pohatu, who merely shrugged. "Must be a human thing," he guessed.

The hours passed as the game continued with Ga-Koro actually taking the lead. Takua spotted his chance and went into his new move. Using his staff to flip himself, the ball rolled into the cup end, and he threw it—straight at the turaga. Though the village elders did manage to duck, the ball still got the last word when it bounced off of Vakama's head as it entered back onto the field. Hahli steered toward the Ta-Koro goal, took a shot, and scored. As the Ga-Matoran cheered for their team's victory, everyone applauded for a game well played. "Congratulations to Ga-Koro," Vakama praised. "And well played by all." The teams respectively bowed and a beam of light shone onto Jaller's face, nearly blinding him. Everyone in the stadium gasped and gazed in amazement.

Later, everyone was gathered at the Ta-Suva, where Nokama read the inscription on the back of the mask. Finally, she announced, "This is the Great Kanohi Mask of Light. A mask to be worn only by a seventh Toa."

"The prophecy is being fulfilled," Gali exclaimed.

Kit, however, just watched the goings-on down below; it now became clear to her that the Mask of Light Saga had begun to unfold and remembered it was the DVD of that part of the Bionicle story that she was watching before she was brought to this world. She was snapped out of her thoughts when everyone started cheering Jaller's name. Everyone now believed that he was the Herald of the Seventh Toa after what happened in the stadium. She continued to watch as Vakama called for the trapped Matoran, asked him if he'd be willing to accept this quest, and Jaller agreed. "And, Takua the Chronicler has volunteered to join me," the Captain of the Guard added. If Takua had bothered to look up where Kit and the Toa were watching, he would've seen the girl giving him a look that said, 'You're not getting out of this that easy.' She then became aware that Gali was leaving and ran to catch up with her. Shortly afterwards, Tahu rejoined Pohatu.

"A seventh Toa," he wondered. "But why now? All of the Makuta's threats have been defeated."

"Who can fathom the wisdom of Mata Nui?" the Stone Toa shrugged. "I'm simply happy to take good news to the North."

"You travel with Gali?" Tahu asked, a bit apprehensive.

"No," his brother replied, "she and Kit have gone to ponder the great thoughts."

In the center of the island sat Kini Nui, the great temple. It was here that island-wide celebrations were held every once in a while and the turaga came to hold council. Just about everywhere you looked was the beauty of the surrounding jungle as far as the eye could see. 'The perfect place to meditate about such events,' Gali thought as she sat at the Amaja Circle. She looked up at the sky and located a familiar constellation, though there something a little different about it. "Kit, look," she pointed for the girl, who was sitting next to her, "a seventh star." Kit gazed in wonder, remembering that night on the mesa when she first spotted the seventh star as it was just starting to appear. Back then, it was just a tiny speck, barely noticeable. Now, it was burning bright with all of the other stars in the sky. While Gali started meditating, dark thoughts invaded Kit's mind. She just realized that there was one other person who also knew about the approaching Seventh Toa—Makuta. She knew that even as she and Gali sat at the Kini Nui, he was preparing to unleash the Rahkshi, the most powerful of his minions yet.

She was about to inform the Toa of Water when a voice in her mind stopped her, "_No, Kit_!"

Kit recognized the voice, 'Tehreisha?'

"_You cannot tell them of the events to come_."

'But--'

"_You know it's part of the story, Kit, and you don't know what sort of consequences changing it would have on this world, or yours. Part of your duty as a Protector is to ensure that the plot continues as it should. I'm sorry, but it must be allowed to pass_."

Kit drearily sighed, giving in. "_Keep in mind, Kit_," Tehreisha continued, "_sometimes great and wonderful things are born from the darkest of situations_." A blank expression formed on her face, then she turned to find Gali levitating. With a slight shrug, she crossed her legs and joined in.

Morning had come to the village. Jaller and Takua conversed with each other as they walked toward the gate. "Why did you have to get me involved in this, Jaller?" asked Takua.

"I could ask the same of you," Jaller responded.

He still couldn't understand why Takua didn't want anyone to know what really happened in the cave. Takua just gave him an innocent smile; despite the fact he didn't want to get involved in this quest, Jaller did provide him an opportunity to travel around the island again. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaller saw a familiar figure approaching them. "Turaga Vakama," the Captain bowed, "what are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd see you and the Chronicler off," the turaga answered.

"Me too," entered a voice. It was Hahli.

As the group walked closer to the gate, Jaller signaled to a Guard member up above and he lowered the portcullis. While Takua and Vakama were busy talking, Jaller thought about what he wanted to say to Hahli. However, before he knew it, she was right next to him. "Look, don't get mushy, Jaller," she said. "I have no time for a long good-bye."

"I was just gonna say, uh . . . well," he struggled; no matter how much he wanted to, he just couldn't get himself to say what he wanted. 'Stealing your words away' he recalled Kit telling him what it was called. "You owe me a rematch on the kohlii field," he finally said, even if it wasn't what he meant.

For a brief moment, the Ga-Matoran gave him an odd look, leaving Jaller worried if he said the wrong thing. 'That's it?' she thought as she raised an eyebrow, but she let it slide. "Well, then," she said with a warm smile as she turned to depart, "you'd better hurry back, because I'll be practicing."

Jaller just stared like an idiot, until he noticed that Vakama and Takua were watching him and he shook his head, as if to get himself out of his stupor. Minutes later, he and Takua were on there way on Pewku's back with nothing but a mask as their guide, leaving Vakama hoping, praying, that they would be safe.

Meanwhile, back at the Kini Nui, Gali continued to meditate while Kit slept beside her, the meditation causing her to fall asleep during the night. Both snapped their eyes open when they heard screeching from above. A flock of birds were flying away frantically, frightened. 'What could've spooked them so badly?' Gali wondered, then felt Kit grab her arm. The girl pointed to a huge cloud mass that stretched out toward the horizon. It was dark and threatening looking and there was no wind. The sound of thunder was heard as the cloud mass covered the temple. Suddenly, the Toa Suva exploded, shattered into pieces.

'Oh boy,' thought Kit. She knew this had to mean only one thing.

Before long, the first three Rahkshi, Lerahk, Guurahk, and Panrahk, appeared. Sensing them, the brown Rahkshi turned and fired a bolt from his staff. Gali grabbed Kit's hand and jumped, narrowly avoiding the blast. When the Rahkshi came to investigate, they found nothing and left; they had a mission to complete. In the water, Gali and Kit remained as still as possible, watching the Rahkshi leave. Once they were sure they were far away enough, they followed them down river, Kit holding on to Gali. Taking a peek outside the water, they saw where the creatures were headed—Ta-Koro. "We've gotta hurry," said Kit. Gali nodded and, with Kit holding onto her shoulders, dove down the waterfall and swam as fast as she could. Finally reaching Ta-Wahi, Kit switched to her Toa armor and ran behind Gali toward the village.

"The Toa of Water and Kit approach," a Guard member called. "The Toa of Water--"

"Are here," said Gali as she jumped with the human in hand to the ledge.

"Sound the alarm," Kit instructed. "We've got company coming."

Tahu was watching his villagers going about their business when the trumpet of the alarm sounded. He ran to one of the watch towers and saw Vakama, Nokama, Gali, and Kit lined up with the Ta-Koro Guard on the rampart. He was about to ask why he had been summoned when he thought he saw something move in the clouds ahead. The Rahkshi had come. "None have breached Ta-Koro's gates before," the Toa of Fire commented as he brandished his magma swords, "and none shall this day." Lerahk aimed and fired. Tahu attempted to use his mask power to block it, but was thrown back through the wall and into the courtyard.

Gali, Kit, and Vakama observed the unconscious Toa and the Rahkshi entering the village. "Mata Nui, protect us," Vakama prayed as Gali ran to protect her brother and Kit left to defend the Matoran.

At one point, she spotted the green Rahkshi cornering two Ta-Matoran and a Ga-Matoran. She quickly placed herself between the monster and the villagers and unleashed an energy ball, sending Lerahk to the ground, then turned to the Matoran. "Go, run for the gate," she instructed. The Matoran nodded and fled.

Tahu, meanwhile, had regained consciousness and didn't waste any time challenging Panrahk. "Good job," Gali commented, but could see that it was not going to be enough to defeat it. "We must get the Matoran to safety now," she declared.

"Surrender?" Tahu asked; he had no intention of giving up.

"It's lost, Tahu," said the Water Toa. "We need to regroup."

"She's right," Kit spoke up, "we can't fight them with all of the villagers here; it's too risky."

Tahu thought about it for a moment; though running from a fight made him feel like a coward, he knew the girls were right and gave the ok. Hahli almost entered the courtyard, only to find Guurahk there, smashing debris that she suspected was once a house. Immediately, she flattened herself against the wall and tried to think of another route, only to feel something grab her forearm.

'Oh no, he's got me,' she thought, and was lifted up, only to breathe a sigh of relief to find it was Gali.

"See the others to safety," the Toa instructed. Hahli nodded and ran to the wench room, pushing the lever, thus causing the bridge to appear.

Kit and Gali worked to guide the panicked Matoran across. "I'll make sure they get to shore," Kit informed the Toa and followed the crowd.

Amongst all of the confusion, a Ta-Matoran stumbled and fell. Kit was by his side immediately and picked him up, carrying him the rest of the way. 'Finally,' she thought once she made it to shore and placed the Matoran down. "Is everybody here?" she asked, turning to Vakama.

The turaga just nodded when someone shouted, "Look!"

Kit turned to see the sight she dreaded to witness. Ta-Koro was sinking into the lava, just like in the movie. She stared at the sinking fortress, barely hearing the Ta-Matoran murmur among themselves. Hearing the sound of liquid sloshing, she looked to find Tahu and Gali surfing toward them. The two Toa joined her on the ledge where she stood, one that overlooked the slowly disappearing koro.

"My home," Tahu said to himself. "They could've destroyed us; why didn't they?"

"They are seekers," answered Vakama, who joined the group. "Whatever they came for, they did not find."

"So what were they after?" asked Gali.

"Makuta fears for his spell of shadows," the turaga riddled.

"The Mask of Light?" Gali guessed.

"Then they seek the Seventh Toa," said Tahu, then realization dawned on his mask. "Jaller and Takua!" he exclaimed. They were all by themselves and, as long as they had the mask, they were in danger.

As expected, Gali planned to summon the other Toa to keep an eye out for them, which Tahu declined, claiming he'd take care of it. This, however, did not sit well with the Toa of Water. "No Tahu, no. We must remain united."

"She's right, Tahu," Kit agreed. "Besides, they could be miles away by now."

The Toa of Fire paused; like before, as much as he hated to admit, Gali was right and Kit had a point. "If you insist," he said as he gave a frustrated glare, revealing the cut he got during his scuffle with Lerahk earlier. It glistened a sickly green in the light, giving the Toa an eerie look that sent a slight shudder down Kit's spine. She looked to the western part of the now clearing sky, hoping that Takua and Jaller were still doing ok.

"That way," Jaller pointed as he lowered the mask. Ahead of them stood a wall of green as far as the eye could see—the trees of Le-Wahi.

"Great," Takua said sarcastically.

Despite the fact he had friends who lived in the local village, if there was one place he could care less about visiting, it was the jungle. Still, he urged Pewku on and they entered.

Back at the volcano, Kit and the two Toa found themselves alone on the ledge. Though the turaga managed to lead the still shaken Matoran about an hour ago, no one could get Tahu to budge. And so, Gali and Kit decided to stay as well. The sky had long since been cleared of the clouds that the Rahkshi used to give a cloak of darkness. Despite her efforts, Kit's eyes somehow found their way to Tahu. With a resigned sigh, she approached him. Ta-Koro had long since disappeared beneath the lava, but the Toa of Fire looked like he hadn't even moved a muscle. "I'm sorry," she said to the red Toa. 'More than you'll ever know,' she added to herself. Tahu slowly turned his head to her, a sad look in his eyes, and turned back to face the spot where a proud fortress once stood. Kit could only imagine what was going on in his mind and sat near him, her legs dangling over the edge.

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Author's Note: I'm sure you've all noticed by now that I incorporated some scenes that were not in the movie (which is basically what this is based off of). The reason behind this is because, since I imagine **_a lot_** of people are more than familiar with the events in the movie, I tried to come up with some 'unseen' scenes in hopes that you, the readers, won't get too bored. 


	2. Rahkshi Attacks

Later, a green form flew through the sky, either avoiding or going through wisps of cloud that hung lazily all around as if someone stuck them there. 'Perfect day for sun-soaring,' Lewa thought to himself with a content smile. However, as much as he enjoyed this, he urged himself to fly faster. It was not less than half an hour ago that he met up with Jaller and Takua, received word that Ta-Koro was being attacked, and left the two travelers in Ko-Wahi to seek out his fellow Toa. 'Hopefully, Kopaka-brother will seek-find them,' he thought. Finally, he spotted his destination—a small volcano that breathed out faint wisps of steam. He dove inside the crater, spied three figures on a ledge, and lithely landed.

"Greetings, brother," Gali addressed with a fist clank.

"Long time, no see," welcomed Kit.

"It's much-good to see you two, too," Lewa replied with a smile, then noticed that Tahu was still kneeling at the edge.

Kit caught on to this quickly, "He hasn't moved from that spot all night, not that I blame him."

The green Toa nodded in understanding and the group approached him. It was then that the red Toa acknowledged his brother's presence. "Ta-Koro is gone, Lewa," he said without meeting his eyes. "Buried by the very lava that sustained it." A glint of green on Tahu's mask caught Gali's eye and she knelt next to him. She examined the cut on his cheek worriedly; it looked like the infection had grown worse.

The Toa of Fire removed her hand. "You worry about scratches?" he said angrily. "My village is _gone_!" Then, a sad expression appeared on his mask as he continued, "Your power was nothing. Kit's power was nothing. My power was nothing."

Lewa listened with sympathy; he knew how it felt to witness the destruction of his village. 'Although there's one huge-big difference,' he thought to himself. 'The Le-Matoran and I've so far been able to rebuild our village-home after every attack. His has been lost-destroyed in a way that that's not possible." When the Fire Toa stood up, the Toa of Air placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and said with an assuring tone, "We are same-hearted, brother, and that heart will quicken us to stop the evil-spread."

"First we must be united," Gali pointed out. "Together we are strong."

However, Tahu just brushed her hand off his shoulder and walked away. With the feeling of failure weighing heavily both on his shoulders and mind, Kit could see that the proud, confidant Fire Toa she knew was now filled with grief and self-doubt. Finally, she, Gali, and Lewa followed him through the tunnel. When they were halfway through, they heard the voices of the Matoran; they sounded frightened. Glancing at each other, the three Toa and human girl ran to the exit. Once outside, they saw that all of the villagers seemed to be gathered around something. "What's going on?" Kit asked a Ta-Matoran.

"A messenger from Le-Koro brings ill news," the villager replied.

Immediately, the Toa and Kit began excusing themselves through the crowd as the crowd itself tried to make enough room to let them through. Finally reaching the epicenter, they found Vakama talking to a Le-Matoran. "Toa," Vakama exclaimed once he noticed the group, "I was about to send someone to send for you."

"What's happening, Turaga?" Tahu asked.

"Bad news, I'm afraid," the Turaga responded.

"So we've heard," Kit whispered to Lewa, who smiled.

Vakama ignored the girl's comment and continued, "This messenger has just informed me that three other Rahkshi have been spotted heading for Onu-Koro."

Tahu, Gali, Lewa, and Kit gasped in surprise and horror. "Are you sure?" Gali asked.

"Affirmative-positive," the Le-Matoran confirmed.

"Onua, he needs to be warned," Tahu realized and he took off in the direction of the nearest Onu-Wahi tunnel, the others following.

"Wait!" Vakama called, causing them to stop. "Beware, Toa and Kit; from what this messenger told us, these Rahkshi are not the same ones you fought before." The group nodded and started running.

At Ko-Koro, or what was left of it, Kopaka observed the villagers. Not so long ago, he was guiding the Chronicler and the Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard to his village only to find the front gate was shattered to pieces and they came under attack by three Rahkshi. After leaving the two on the frozen lake, he walked back to the koro to see if everyone was alright. He found most of the Matoran, and Turaga Nuju, trying to make their way through the rubble to get back into the village. Apparently, all but a few managed to get out of the village during the attack. Once inside, the Ice Toa used his mask power to search caved in huts, trading booths, anywhere he could think where a Matoran might be and pointed the Ko-Matoran in the right direction. Soon, all of the missing Matoran were found and, fortunately, none of them were killed or badly hurt. Kopaka was just picking a Matoran out of his wrecked hut when he heard a caw from up in the sky. A Le-Matoran landed his Gukko in the clearest spot he could locate, hopped off, and saluted to Nuju. When prodded, the green villager relayed his message—three other Rahkshi were heading for Onu-Koro. Instantly, Kopaka came to the same conclusion that Tahu had. He had to warn Onua that the village of earth was in danger; the Toa of Earth was strong, but he knew he couldn't fight those three monsters by himself. Through Matoro's translation, the Turaga thanked the bird-rider and answered that the villagers could handle themselves from here when the Toa of Ice asked if they'd be alright while he was gone. With a somewhat reluctant sigh, Kopaka left for a nearby tunnel.

"C'mon, we're almost there," Tahu called to the group.

"Right behind you, brother," Lewa called back.

He and Gali ran after the Toa of Fire while Kit brought up the rear. Suddenly, she stopped so fast she fell over and skinned her knee on the tunnel floor. Hissing through clenched teeth, yet forcing herself to ignore the pain, she stayed perfectly still and listened. She wasn't sure, but she thought she had heard a sickingly familiar screech, which was why she stopped so quickly. A minute had passed without hearing anything before Gali called to her. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" the Water Toa asked, a little concerned.

"I thought I heard something," Kit replied.

"What sort-kind of something?" Lewa inquired.

"Rahkshi?" Tahu asked with what seemed to sound like a hint of hope. Kit said nothing, but gave them an uncertain look. "Come," Tahu commanded, a tinge of impatience in his voice. "We have to keep moving."

With a tired groan, Kit made herself get up and running again. It wasn't long before the frantic cries of Onu-Matoran were echoing throughout the tunnel. When they reached the village, for Tahu, Gali, and Kit, it was a pure case of déjà vu with the Matoran scattering here and there in a panic. A screech caught Tahu's ear and located a whitish-silver Rahkshi that cornered Takua. Anger at the creatures that destroyed his home boiled up inside of him like the lava he controlled. "Wait, Tahu!" Kit called, but it was too late; the Toa of Fire had leapt into action.

"Rahkshi!" he shouted as he sailed over Kurahk and placed himself between it and Takua.

The Rahkshi, however, raised its staff and fired energy rings. Tahu attempted to block the attack, but it struck full force. Dark energy rippled throughout his body and he could feel it leech into his mind. Unable to fight it off, he collapsed, vaguely hearing Takua say his name. The Matoran grabbed his kohlii staff, as if to protect the Toa when something grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him into the air. A screech echoed and the Rahkshi gave chase. Hearing the screech, Kit turned toward the ceiling and saw a familiar bat-like monster carrying a struggling Takua in its claws. 'Darcius,' she thought, 'I should've known it was only a matter of time.' "Lewa, get me up there and catch Takua," she called to the Toa. Lewa was a little confused for a moment, but he did as Kit asked and summoned an upward gust of wind to lift her up past the Rahkshi, who were sent off balance, and she landed on the bat monster's back. The sudden addition of weight surprised the creature and it lost its hold on Takua, who Lewa deftly caught. Before Kit could do anything else, it started flying in a bucking-like motion, leaving her little else to do but wrap her arms around its neck and hold on for dear life. 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all,' she thought to herself. The monster pitched forward, causing Kit to slip off over its head and fall to the ground. As she fell, she saw the creature flying toward her, growling and teeth bared. She crashed to the ground, but not before letting loose an energy beam that sent it flying through the ceiling. Groaning, she began to get up, hand to her head; though her Toa armor suit absorbed most of the impact, it was still a rough landing. Her vision cleared up in time for her to spot Gali kneeling over Tahu. "Gali, no!" she called, but her warning came too late as the red Toa regained consciousness.

"Fire has no brothers!" Tahu said venomously, fully under Korahk's spell of anger. His mask showed all of the signs of infection and his eyes were a sickly green. Gali and Kit stared in shock and horror as they slowly backed away a few steps. "Fire consumes all!" the Fire Toa proclaimed as he slammed his magma swords to the ground, letting loose a stream of fire.

The two just managed to dodge it—Kit taking shelter amongst the surrounding huts, Gali, as expected, onto a stalactite. Chest heaving, Kit looked around her for Takua and found him with Pewku heading for a chimney. She was about to make her way there when Tahu jumped into her path. "Tahu, it's me, Kit. Remember?" she pleaded. But, Tahu began swinging his swords, which she just barely dodged. "Tahu—please," she begged in between dodges, "I don't—want—to hurt you." The crazed Toa continued to advance when the entire cavern started to quake violently. Kit took advantage of Tahu's confusion and forced him back with a blast of energy. For a moment the quaking stopped and Kit turned to find Pohatu and Onua on a nearby ridge. Though she knew what would happen later, she still couldn't stop a gasp of horror when the ceiling came crashing down, forcing the two Toa to find cover.

Tahu, meanwhile, had regained his bearings and was about to launch another attack on the preoccupied human when a jet of water came at him from nowhere. "Tahu," said Gali's voice, "remember who you are. Remember your destiny."

Fighting the surge of water, the Fire Toa proceeded toward her with a deadly glare and snarled, "I have no destiny!"

Before he could say or do anything else, a white blade touched Tahu's shoulder and he turned into a statue of ice. "Sorry, brother," Kopaka apologized.

"Brothers, let's take him to safety," said Gali, and Lewa and Kopaka picked up the frozen Toa.

The cavern began to shake again and stalactites and boulders were falling everywhere. The group ran in a zigzag route toward a tunnel. It was all they could do to avoid the pieces of ceiling. Finally, they made it inside just before their escape caved in. Kit took a moment to catch her breath as she looked upon the blockade. 'Hope Takua's ok,' she wondered, then took off after the Toa.

Out in Ko-Wahi, at one of the many chimney structures that sprouted out from the snow, Pewku popped out. Right behind her, Takua also climbed out, coughing from the slight haze of smoke. He landed on the snow with a soft thud and adjusted his mask that had become slightly dislodged. Pewku approached him and barked. Now came the fun part. "We gotta find Jaller," Takua told her, remembering what Lewa said. He hopped onto her back and urged her on. He had no idea where Jaller was or how they would find him, but he hoped they would find him soon.

"Are you sure this is absolutely necessary?" Kit asked for the third time, uncertainty in her voice. Kopaka and Lewa were busy securing a revived, and very ticked off, Tahu to a flat rock.

"You have a better suggestion?" Kopaka growled with effort as he pinned the red Toa's left hand.

Kit remained silent; for some reason she was just finding it quite disturbing that Tahu had to be restrained in order to keep him from harming anyone or himself. Gali used her aqua axes to pinion the Fire Toa's wrists and Lewa used a thread of vine to bind his ankles. Once they were sure he was secure, the three Toa stepped back and immediately Tahu began struggling. As the Toa observed, Kit could feel her legs shaking a little, wanting to move and get out of there. She had seen this scene on the DVD many times, but actually seeing it for real was very different. Yet still, she managed to make herself stay where she was, feeling a need to be there for the Fire Toa. The Toa then gathered around Tahu, Gali saying that they had to use all of the healing powers they possessed. Lewa readied one of Tahu's magma swords, which glowed weakly, and Kopaka did the same with his ice blade. When the two placed the weapons together over the panting Toa of Fire, a surge of yellow energy erupted upon Tahu and he groaned in pain. Though she knew the Toa would be alright, Kit still found herself unable to watch. She closed her eyes and clenched her fist. After a moment, Gali finally said, "That's enough." The weapons were drawn away and Tahu nodded into unconsciousness as the energy dissipated. Now, it was Gali's turn as she formed a ball of water and released it onto the Fire Toa, where it engulfed his entire form. Then, the water drained away and the scorches on Tahu's armor, the scratch on his cheek, and the infection on his mask disappeared. It was as if the water had washed away any sign of the poison. Even his eyes had returned to their normal red; he basically looked brand new. Despite all of this, he didn't even stir. Gali sighed, exhausted from the energy drain, and the color of her armor seemed to fade to a dull-grayish shade of blue.

She would've fallen if Kopaka hadn't caught her. "You did all you could," he said reassuringly to his sister, and he stole a glance at the still unconscious red Toa, a concerned look in his eyes. He slipped his left arm underneath Gali's legs and said to Kit and Lewa, "I'll take her to the river."

The two nodded and the white Toa disappeared into the bushes and ferns of the jungle. Girl and Air Toa turned their attention back to their fallen comrade, both sharing similar thoughts and yet lost in what they were keeping to themselves. Feeling as if he had to do something to let Tahu know they were there for him, Lewa gently clanked his fist against his brother Toa's limp hand. Seeing this, and realizing how worried the green Toa must be, Kit walked around the rock, patted his shoulder comfortingly, and said, "He'll be ok, don't worry." Lewa gave her a small smile.

Meanwhile, Kopaka had reached the river and gently set Gali down on the bank where she dipped her arms in the water. Immediately, she could feel the power of her element rejuvenating her, restoring her strength as blue ripples of energy raced to her. Her armor was beginning to recover its natural blue hue. Still, as she knelt, disturbing thoughts crossed her mind. Her recent arguments with Tahu, her having to remind him the importance of unity with the other Toa, the possibility that two of their brother Toa were lost forever, and how the Toa of Fire lost himself in his anger; it was as if the team was splitting apart, had become disjointed somehow. "Kopaka, do you think the Turaga were right about us?" she asked the Ice Toa sadly. "Have we lost our unity?" She waited for a reply, but none came. "Kopaka?" she questioned, only to find that the Toa of Ice was nowhere to be found, as if he was never there. Shaking her head, she sighed and tried to focus on getting her strength back.

Elsewhere, Takua rode on Pewku as the crab trekked along a windy path on a sheer cliffside, keeping an eye out for any sign of Jaller. He just silently hoped that his friend was ok when he thought he heard a voice echoing. Before he could figure out what it was, a tremor caused the cliff to shake and he held on tight to Pewku's shell while the crab did likewise to the ground. Somehow, he heard a familiar yell over the roar of the small quake. 'Jaller!" he thought, then the shaking stopped and he urged Pewku forward. It wasn't long before he saw a hand hanging from the edge and he grabbed his kohlii stick. Sure enough it was Jaller and he reached out with the stick as he instructed, "Grab on." The Captain of the Guard grabbed hold while still maintaining his grip on the mask, and the Chronicler swooped him onto Pewku's back, who took the added weight in stride.

"Well, well, well, whatever happened to 'I quit'?" Jaller asked, happy that his friend had come back, yet still a little angry at him for walking off on him.

"I could've," replied Takua with a shy smirk, "but I didn't." Then, getting a little more serious, he told Jaller of the Rahkshi attack at Onu-Koro.

"But the Mask of Light was never at Onu-Koro," Jaller pointed out.

"They don't want the mask," Takua corrected. "They're looking for the herald."

"You're sure?" Jaller inquired; it didn't make any sense to him that the Rahkshi would go and attack someplace where the herald was not.

"Oh yeah, real sure," Takua answered with certainty in his eyes; he came to the realization that the Rahkshi were looking for him, the true herald, as he was fleeing the village.

"Then we better find the Seventh Toa," Jaller pointed out as they continued on with the Avohkii as their guide.

Back at the jungle, Gali meditated until she heard the approach of another. She turned to find it was Lewa. "Sister, he is open-eyed," the green Toa announced with a smile. Getting to her feet, Gali walked back the short distance to the clearing where she found Tahu in a half-sit up position.

"Brother, are you well?" she asked.

"No," the Fire Toa replied gruffly as he rubbed his wrist. "No I am _not_ well." Then, he continued more gently, "But I—I am alive, and in your debt, my sister." He held out his fist and, after a slight moment's hesitation, the Water Toa clanked hers with his.

"Now aint this a sweet Kodak moment?" a voice asked. Taken by surprise, Tahu and Gali turned to find Kit with a big grin on her face. The girl, however, couldn't help but laugh at their blank features.


	3. The End?

Disclaimer: I repeat, I don't own Bionicle or 'Mask of Light', but I do own Kit and Darcius.

Author's Note 1: I couldn't find the official name of the tentacled worm that Onua encountered in'Tales of the Masks', so I just made one up for the sake of the story.

* * *

"Not that I don't trust you or anything, brother," said Pohatu, "but are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Sure," Onua replied. "It's just with all of the damage the quake caused, we've had to take some detours and it's taking longer to get to the exit."

The Toa of Stone inwardly sighed but kept following the black Toa who, thanks to the fact that he could see in the dark, lead the way. Suddenly, the Toa of Earth froze, causing Pohatu to almost bump into him. "What's wrong?" he inquired.

Onua shushed him and whispered, "Do you hear that?" The Stone Toa listened for a moment, but didn't seem to hear anything.

"Hear what?"

"Something's near," the Earth Toa answered.

The Toa brandished their weapons and stood back-to-back, waiting. Then, a pair of white tentacles appeared from a side tunnel and were accompanied by a guttural growl. "What the--" Pohatu stumbled.

"It's a Subterranean Worm," Onua explained. "It's a giant tentacled worm that's suspected to eat protodermis."

Faster than the eye could see, the two tentacles struck out at the Toa and sent them flying through the tunnel wall. The Toa, stunned but unharmed, found themselves in an open cavern and standing on a ledge that overlooked an underground river far below. More of the worm's tentacles followed after them. Pohatu was about to use his climbing claws when Onua stopped him. "He's a link to the past; I don't want to harm him if we can help it."

"Any suggestions?" asked the Toa of Stone.

"That thing has sensitive hearing to make up for its lack of sight," Onua mentioned. He revved up his quakebreakers and prepared to slam them together.

This time, it was Pohatu who stopped him, afraid that the soundwave from the tools might cause the entire cavern to collapse like at Onu-Koro. Spotting a rock, he hatched an idea. Using the speed power of his Kakama to aid him, he kicked the rock into the tunnel before the Rahi could even block it. There, it loudly ricocheted, loud enough to bother the worm. The Toa of Stone continued kicking rocks as if they were kohlii balls, one after the other, making them bounce off the tunnel wall. The Rahi roared and its tentacles writhed; the cacophony of rebounding rocks was indeed bothering it. Soon, the tentacles retreated and there was no more sound from the worm. Pohatu took the moment to catch his breath, only to find out an instant later that he assumed too soon that the whole thing was over. A tremor had caused the cavern to start shaking uncontrollably. "W-w-what's happening?" the brown Toa asked as he tried to preserve his balance.

"It's the worm," a crouching Onua realized as he felt the vibrations in the earth. "It's trying to burrow its way out."

As the tremors continued, small rocks and stalactites that shook loose from the ceiling began to fall, some near the Toa. 'Tahu's Hau would really come in handy right now,' Pohatu thought to himself. Spotting a stalactite falling toward him, he narrowly dodged it before it could impale him. However, in doing so, his foot slipped off the ledge. Unable to stabilize his balance, he began to lean over the edge. "Onua! Heeelp!" he shouted. In the blink of an eye, Onua lunged, got down on the floor, and just managed to grab hold of Pohatu's hand. But, the point of the peak crumbled underneath the Toa of Earth, threatening to send them both down. Just when it looked like the two Toa were done for, Onua grabbed hold of the edge with his free hand. At that moment, the tremors stopped. Upon instinct, Pohatu looked down and found himself grateful that they didn't have to take a dip in the river below, considering they survived the fall itself. The Toas relief, Onua discovered, was short lived when he felt something happening in his hand.

He looked up and gasped as he saw the many tiny cracks. "The rock, it's going to--" the edge totally crumbled away, and the Toa of Earth lost his hold. Out of nowhere, a white hand grabbed hold of Onua's. Surprised, the two Toa looked up at their rescuer. It was Kopaka. The Toa of Ice hauled his brothers up to safety and the three sat where they were, panting.

"Thanks, brother," said Pohatu. Kopaka simply nodded.

"By the way," said Onua, "how did you know how to find us?" With a slight smirk, the Ice Toa tapped his scope, and Onua understood—using a combination of his scope and mask power, Kopaka must've located them very easily. Suddenly, like earlier, Onua stiffened as he sensed something happening in the earth. "Kopaka, see what you can see over there," he instructed as he pointed in the direction of the hole from which and Pohatu came.

Kopaka complied and summoned his x-ray vision power once more. Through the rock and the soil, he spotted them. "Rahkshi," he announced, "and they're headed toward the Kini Nui."

"Let's go," Pohatu said as he got to feet, mask glowing.

Onua and Kopaka got up, nodded to their brother and they were all off in a flash.

"Kini Nui, thegreat temple," Jaller quietly exclaimed in awe.

Takua, on the other hand, couldn't believe it. "We've been all over the island just to wind up here!"

"Why not?" Jaller asked. "It's a special place."

Takua snatched away the mask as he asked, "Are you sure this thing's working right?"

When nothing happened, he gave it a little shake. The mask's reaction was a bright flash that erupted into a beam that blasted off a chunk of the statue just before them. "This is it," said Jaller, "the Seventh Toa must be here." Three shadows blocked some of the setting sunlight—the Rahkshi had arrived. Jaller quickly grabbed the mask back, ready to protect it, but Takua stopped him.

"We both know the mask chose me," he explained. "I'm the true herald."

"Are you sure? Even now?" asked Jaller, surprised that his friend was just now accepting his responsibility. Takua assured him he was, grabbed back the mask, and they ran toward the Amaja Circle. Only, the first three Rahkshi they met were there, too.

"We're trapped," Takua gasped.

"But not helpless," Jaller pointed out as he readied his blade. True it was no Toa tool, but he wasn't going down without giving it all he had.

Suddenly three torches from above began to light up one by one, blinding the Rahkshi. The two Matoran looked up and saw them. "Toa! Kit!" said Takua. "Great, you can get us out of here." But, instead of grabbing the Matoran and making a break for it, the Toa circled them while Kit, standing ready in her Toa armor suit, stayed near them.

"We are done running," said Tahu as he, Gali, and Lewa readied their weapons.

Just then, the ground began to shake a little. A hand popped out from the sand and out came the missing three Toa, also ready for battle. "Brothers, we thought we lost you," Gali greeted, relieved that Pohatu and Onua were alright.

"And you might've if it weren't for our icy friend," said Onua, earning him a small, appreciative smile from the mentioned Toa.

"Now! As one!" proclaimed the Toa of Stone.

The Toa connected their tools and Tahu commanded a force shield to form around the entire group. Lewa then jumped into action and summoned a twister of sand while Gali kept the other three busy. With an addition of Tahu's fire, the sand in the twister hardened into a giant glass structure with three Rahkshi infused in it. The battle continued as according to the story: Pohatu linked Kurahk's and Vorahk's hands together with his climbing claws; Onua used his earth powers to lift some boulders into the air; Tahu heated the boulders until they were melted into lava, which were then dropped onto the trapped Rahkshi; Gali blasted them with a stream of water, and Kopaka finally froze them and the lava pool with ice. Kit was so into the fight, even she didn't notice Turahk until it was too late. She prepared an attack, but the red Rahkshi knocked her away and went after the fleeing Matoran. Shaking it off, the girl got up and jumped onto the monster's back. After a little struggle, the Rahkshi gave a hard elbow, stunning her. Turahk fired his staff and Takua was hit, hearing Makuta's voice. He was so frightened, he couldn't even move, giving the Rahkshi ample opportunity to strike the finishing blow. Jaller, however, jumped in and held onto the staff. Immediately, he could feel the power coursing through him, making him see his worst fears. Still he wouldn't let go; he forced himself to hold on, despite the fact that he could feel the intense fear was causing him to have a heart attack. The Rahkshi threw him aside, then found itself under attack by Pohatu and Gali. Realizing what his friend had done for him, Takua managed to shake off the Rahkshi's power and joined a revived Kit at Jaller's side. Jaller breathed hard, his chest hurt like it was going to burst, he felt so weak, and his heartlight was flashing. And, he was aware that two other people were with him. "I'm supposed to make the sacrifice," Takua said as he cradled his friend's head.

"No," Jaller said weakly, "the duty was mine."

"Jaller, I'm so sorry," Kit apologized, her voice heavy with sorrow.

"It's ok, I have no regrets," the dying Matoran replied as bravely as he could. He reached for the Mask of Light and said to Takua, "You know who you are." Using the last of his strength, he handed it to him and concluded with, "You were always different." And, dropping his hand and with a final burst of light from his heartlight, he died.

Takua looked upon his friend with a sad look on his mask when he spotted two drop marks in the sand. Another followed and he looked up at the sky, but there was no raincloud in sight. Hearing Kit make some strange noises, he looked to her and found what appeared to be water leaking from her eyes. His curiosity didn't last though, and he got up and looked at the mask, Jaller's last words echoing in his mind. He moved to place on the mask, hesitated, then, with determination in his eyes, he put it on. Kit suddenly found herself blinded by a flash of light and carefully slid down from the platform. When the light disappeared, there stood Takua. Only, he wasn't exactly Takua anymore. "I am Takanuva, Toa of Light," the newly-found Seventh Toa introduced himself. His first order of business was doing away with the last Rahkshi. Then, using a beam of light, the outer layer of the statue was dispersed, revealing a Pakari. He retracted his light, subspaced his staff, and carried his friend's body down the steps and the 'aisle' Kit and the Toa created. Despite the fact she knew this was only temporary, Kit just couldn't hold back the tears; this wasn't the DVD, this was real.

Meanwhile, down in the Mangaia, Makuta sensed and saw everything, as he always had. "So, it has begun, my brother," he mused. "But soon, it will also end."

The next day, shortly after sunrise, Kit and the Toa were busy gathering Rahkshi parts. Earlier, Takanuva explained his plan to build a machine he called an Ussanui and confront Makuta. Gathering up all of the Rahkshi parts they could find, they put it together according to the Light Toa's plans. Finally, all it needed was a Shadow Kraata, and, luckily, Takanuva found one and placed it inside as he explained that the kraata would guide the vehicle to Makuta's lair. Then, Hahli approached with Jaller's hau in hand. "Jaller was your Herald," she said with a sad tone to Takanuva as she placed the mask on the Ussanui's front. "Let him continue to lead to victory."

"Well said, Hahli," said the new Toa.

Pohatu took a moment to observe the new machine, came to a conclusion, and said, "Not much room in this transport. Where will we all sit, brother?"

"You won't," Takanuva answered. "You shall not join me."

While the Toa debated, Hahli carefully opened a hatch to a compartment just big enough for her to slip in. When she looked around one more time, she saw that Kit had spotted her and she froze. Instead of the warning the Toa that she was expecting, her human friend just gave a slight smile and winked as if saying, 'Go for it.' Deciding to save her questions 'til later, Hahli slipped in as quietly as a stone rat and closed the hatch. And just in time too, for just at that moment, Takanuva hopped on, activated the Ussanui, and disappeared into the tunnel, unaware that he had a stowaway. 'Now the fun part,' Kit thought to herself sarcastically, 'the waiting.'

The bad part about riding in a compartment with no windows whatsoever, Hahli discovered, was that there was no telling what you could expect. The sudden movement of the Ussanui leveling itself came as a surprise, just when she got used to the weightlessness of going down. Then, without warning, it turned, righted itself, and flipped completely over, forcing the Ga-Matoran to brace herself against the walls as best as she could. The vehicle kept going straight and, just when she was beginning to wonder if she should be worried, she found herself slamming with the door of the compartment as a loud crash echoed in her ears. For a moment, she lay dazed, but not hurt. 'Something tells me it was good thing I couldn't see where this thing was going,' she said to herself as she rubbed her head. She worked on the latch of the door, and popped her head out, to the surprise of Takanuva. "It's time someone was your Chronicler," she proclaimed as she grabbed Jaller's mask. The Toa of Light simply looked upon her with pride. Hearing a hissing sound, the two spotted the stunned Shadow Kraata.

As swiftly as a coiled snake, Takanuva grasped it in his hand before it could regain enough of its bearings to get away. "Let's go," he said to the new Ga-Matoran Chronicler, and they walked through the doors.

Hahli followed as close to the Toa as she could, not wanting to get lost in this place. There was a dank and foul smelling aroma about the cavern, and the shadows and green mist obscured everything—just as Kit told her. However, in the very middle of the cavern lay a good-sized pool of energized protodermis that illuminated the four green pillars that circled it. Finally, Takanuva raised a hand, signaling for her to stay put, and continued on. Hahli simply watched with concern as the new Toa walked toward the pillars. She saw him throw down the kraata and heard it slither away into the darkness. "You can no longer hide in shadow," the Light Toa announced, knowing that his enemy was in there somewhere.

Hahli nearly jumped when she heard the reply, "I am shadow—the shadow that guards the gate. Now run along, or accept your doom."

"I am _done_ running. Mata Nui will be awakened _this_ day," Takanuva declared defiantly. "Hahli, summon the Matoran!"

"It's done," the Ga-Matoran nodded and ran back through the doors, into the tunnel. She was feeling rather grateful that the Toa of Light gave her something to do that required leaving that dreadful place.

Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she soon saw the beam of daylight from where they entered and climbed up. When she got to the top, she saw all of the Toa had done as their new brother asked—the Matoran and Turaga were gathered around. Needless to say, everyone except Kit, was surprised to see her. Before anyone could say anything, she announced, "I bring word from Takanuva: he wants us to follow. We are to awaken Mata Nui _today_."

Instantly everyone started conversing among themselves. "The light among the shadows," Vakama thought, and came to a conclusion. "The prophecy is fulfilled. We must go."

"If we descend into those tunnels, we may never return," Onewa pointed out. This created more discussion among the group, this time about actions and consequences.

Hahli watched and listened with anxiety. While they were deciding what was to be done, Takanuva was, more than likely, fighting the Makuta all on his own and there was no telling how he was faring. She climbed onto a rock and tried to get everybody's attention, but her voice was lost amongst the voices. Luckily, Vakama took care of it by calling for silence. Once everyone's voices were quiet and with all eyes on her, Hahli started, "This island is a great and wondrous place. Never have any been as blessed as we are to live in such a paradise." Everyone nodded in agreement. "I love my home, and Jaller loved it too," Hahli continued as she gazed at the lost Captain's mask. "But above all Jaller respected duty. Let us repay him by doing our duty. Let us remember him by fulfilling our destiny. Let us go forward together. Let us awaken the Great Spirit." She raised Jaller's mask into the air, a ray of sunlight catching it, causing it to shine.

The crowd cheered enthusiastically and, within moments, they were following Hahli down the tunnel. Soon, they could hear the sounds of something crashing and Makuta's voice. For a brief moment, Kit shuddered slightly, remembering the first time she met Makuta face-to-face. Finally, they reached the doors and found Makuta and Takanuva engaged what seemed to be a round of kohlii. "An audience gathers for your final failure, Toa of Light," the Shadow Spirit mocked.

"Maybe they will not see me win today," Takanuva countered, "but the Matoran _will_ go on. And someday, they will triumph."

"You actually believe I would let them return?" Makuta asked before launching a darkened ball of protodermis at the arch above the entrance. With nowhere else to run, the crowd ran into the chamber as rocks and debris cut them off from the tunnel. "They will _not_ leave," Makuta declared.

The Toa of Light, angry at what the fiend had done, launched himself at him. Makuta threw another kohlii ball of protodermis at the golden Toa, but Takanuva was ready for him. As he tucked himself into a ball, everyone recognized that it was the special move he tried earlier, now perfected. Once he had the ball, he threw it right at Makuta, who was taken by surprise and thrown into the wall behind him with a crash. Takanuva approached cautiously. For a while, it seemed as if he had won; Makuta wasn't moving. "Well played, Toa," the behemoth spoke as he stirred. "Now I will protect Mata Nui _from_ you."

Confused, the Toa of Light asked, "Protect him?"

"Sleep spares him pain," Makuta explained. "Awake, he suffers."

"You are not protecting him," Takanuva said defiantly.

"You got that right," Kit whispered to Vakama. "That's gotta be the biggest load of crap I've ever heard him come up with."

If Makuta heard the girl's comment, he gave no indication as he declared, "My duty is to the Mask of Shadows."

"Then let's take a closer look _behind_ that mask," Takanuva decided and he leapt onto Makuta.

With all of his might, he strained to hold onto the mask as Makuta struggled to get him off. Finally, he managed to disengage the artifact from the giant's face, a beam of energy sheltering his face from view. Suddenly, both of them fell into the pool of energized protodermis. Everyone stared and gathered around the pool; they all knew that the Toa Nuva came into being when they were exposed to the substance. But, what would it do to the Toa of Light and the Master of Shadows? Then, a light started to form from within the pool. "It's happening," Kit whispered in awe and wonder so quietly no one could hear her. First, the light began to form the Bionicle logo, then it began to expand. Everyone ran for cover and a muted explosion occurred.

Then, something rose from the liquid and everyone stared and a few gasps were heard. Its mask, its entire form seemed to be an amalgamation of both Takanuva and Makuta. "Light and Shadow have become one," Vakama mused at the sight.

"Light has revealed the will of Mata Nui," the creature, Takutanuva, proclaimed in a booming voice as he pointed to the gate that was carved in the likeness of the Great Spirit. "Our brother must be awakened."

Takutanuva, with heavy footsteps, approached the gate and, mustering all of his strength, lifted it to allow his friends passage, and they ran in. "Go!" he encouraged them; he couldn't hold the gate up much longer, "Run!" That's when he noticed Hahli. "Halt, little one," he called to the Ga-Matoran. "That mask needs life." He held out his hand and she handed it to him. Setting it down on the floor, a light shone from his palm and he hovered it over the mask. Soon, a heartbeat could be heard, and Jaller was reborn.

Groaning and feeling a little woozy, he struggled to his feet and Hahli helped him up. "Jaller," she said as she embraced him in a hug, overcome with joy. Jaller, meanwhile, blushed a little. Takutanuva smiled fondly at the sight. Then, the gate began to feel heavier than ever.

"My duty is done," he said to himself as he watched the two Matoran run to get out of the way. The giant groaned and strained, but his strength gave out, the gate falling on top of him.

Jaller turned at the sound of what he suspected was the gate slamming shut. "Get out of there!" he shouted. As if in response, the Kanohi Avohkii slid into view.

Everyone looked on, wondering if their latest guardian just sacrificed himself. Vakama walked over, picked up the mask, and led the group into the chamber at the end. Almost immediately, Kit found herself staring in wonder at the vast room. She could hardly believe it; while the darkness in the Mangaia was foreboding and evil, the darkness in this cavern seemed to have a good and welcoming feeling to it, as if it had been patiently waiting for the right people to arrive. Just like that night at Ta-Koro's courtyard, Vakama's words were lost to Kit until a pillar of light riveted her eyes and attention to it. In the middle of the light stood Hahli. 'This is it,' she thought as she noticed all of the Toa lined up and stood fist to fist in a chain-like formation.

The Turaga then placed Jaller on another part of the Bionicle symbol that decorated the floor where the Matoran also became encased in a pillar of light. "Destiny," Vakama finished as he placed the golden mask in the center, the largest circle in the symbol.

A stream of light wound itself around and around, all the way up to the ceiling. Kit could swear, just for a brief moment, she saw a small red blue-masked form in the axis of the light. Finally, the pillars dimmed away, and in the center stood Takanuva, revived. "You're alive," Jaller cried. His old friend, now twice his height, patted his head, but Jaller wasn't quite finished. "Kohliihead," he scolded as he elbowed the Toa's knee, "you could've been Makuta-bones."

"Could've been," the Toa of Light paused, as if in thought, then said, "but I'm not."

"That's our Takua," Kit chuckled, and, turning to her, Takanuva smiled almost sheepishly. The girl and Makuta were right after all; he may be a Toa now, but, deep inside, he was still the Matoran everyone knew.

Suddenly, Takanuva's, Hahli's, and Jaller's masks began to glow. Three beams of light shot from them, converged, and everyone could just barely see what appeared to be a land mass in a large ocean. "Light has illuminated our destiny," Vakama mused quietly, mostly to himself. "It has been refound."

"What has?" Kit took the question out of, mostly, everyone's mouths. "What is that, Vakama?"

The Turaga of Fire looked the girl in the eye and replied, "The city of the Great Spirit—my island home."

Kit, taken aback by this news, looked to the Toa and Matoran for an explanation. The answers she found, however, were shrugs and looks of shock, surprise, and disbelief that matched her own.

Meanwhile, in his dark realm, Darcius sat on his throne, pondering. His plans to kill the Matoran, Takua, before he became Takanuva had failed. True, he could still come up with a way to get rid of him, but he wouldn't be quite as vulnerable as he was as a Matoran. Reflexively, he clenched his hand and his expression changed to anger. Every time he made a move, she was, somehow, always there to stop him. However, that angry frown soon changed into a wicked smile. He was already preparing a new plan, one that involved changing everything every creature in this realm knew. And, he was certain that annoying human child wouldn't be able to anything about it except watch, as the very world she had sworn to protect rotted and withered away before her very eyes. He then let a quiet chuckle escape from his lips; he couldn't wait to see the look on her face when that came to pass, a look that he was certain would be one of ultimate despair and failure.

About two days had come and gone since that fateful day in the cavern and most of the Toa, some Matoran, and Kit were enjoying a friendly round of Huai Snowball Sling, upon the girl's insistence that they could all use some 'down-time'. Kit threw a snowball, only to have one splatter all over her face. Kit wiped the snow off, paused, and said to Takanuva with a smile, "Well, I don't care," and collected more snow to make another ball. As the human, Toa, and Matoran laughed and enjoyed their game, Turaga Nuju watched from a ledge above. Despite the cheerful scene before him, he couldn't help but feel a great weight on his shoulders, knowing what all of those people down there and all over the island were about to learn.

* * *

Author's Note 2: Sorry people, but I'm afraid this is all the farther this story goes (they're just not turning out to be as long as I think they will). But don't worry, there's still more to come in this series. It's just going to be a matter of finding time to work on them, get them edited, formatted, and posted (especially with work and all other sorts of things going on in my life right now). But, I'll try to get them up as soon as possible.


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